ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Mikey Musumeci is ready to showcase a new version of himself when he returns to action this weekend. This time, he is going up against Gabriel Sousa in a bantamweight submission grappling match at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Jo Nattawut II at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. It will be the second fight between the two fighters, as they previously squared off way back in 2021 at a FloGrappling WNO Championship, where Sousa defeated Musumeci via submission, specifically a north-south choke.

Now, both fighters are ready to face off against each other again in a grappling fight on June 7. The recent video uploaded by ONE Championship could trigger tension between them as Gabriel Sousa revealed an excuse made by Musumeci for his defeat.

Gabriel Sousa ready to defeat Mikey Musumeci for the second time

Gabriel Sousa is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. Early in his career, he conquered many International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation World and European Championships, including a win against Mikey Musumeci, who is now considered one of the most dangerous competitors in the sport. While Sousa’s success has not been in the limelight as much, the hype is strong because he is going toe-to-toe against Musumeci again, which he revealed in his latest reel.

Speaking about his previous win against the champion, the Brazil native reckoned, ” So when I beat him, for some reason, he came up with excuses. I don’t think it was necessary, and he told me he was not 100%.” Sousa also promised to beat him again this time, revealing that he doesn’t want to fight Musumeci while he is in a weak condition, as the 27-year-old claimed last time.

Since their last fight, where the Brazilian delivered a dominant performance against “Darth Rigatoni” with aggressive tactics, he’s come a long way. The 27-year-old now boasts a 14-fight win streak, which propelled him to the ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Title. Despite this, Musumeci did not forget his last defeat against Sousa, as he revealed in his latest interview that he’s training very hard to get him down.

Is ONE 167 Musumeci’s toughest training camp yet?

Right now, the ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion, Mikey Musumeci, can be seen honing his grappling skills and pushing himself hard in the gym in preparation for his return at ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Jo Nattawut II on June 7. Since he has a very good track record, this fight will be different for him because the mental pressure will play a different role this time, as he faces Gabriel Sousa, once again.

This time, determined to rewrite his story and avenge his defeat, Mikey Musumeci has gained weight, moving up to bantamweight from flyweight. In an interview with ONE Championship, he spoke about his grueling training, saying, “I really put myself to have the best chances to win this match, I believe, and I worked very f***g hard.”

However, if we compare the stats of both fighters in their recent fights, Musumeci seems to be emerging as the favorite for their upcoming bout. What’s your prediction for Musumeci vs. Sousa 2 at ONE 167? Let us know in the comments below.